Static
by Blitzindite
Summary: Footsteps. Purposefully loud, wanting him to hear them. When the voice spoke, it echoed through his head rather than the room around him. "You're a hard one to catch."


**Warnings: **_Drugging, Kidnapping, Hallucinations, Torture  
Characters: Chase Brody (Bro Average), Antisepticeye (The Glitch)  
__Superhero AU_

_Forty-Theme Challenge  
Prompt 11: Pain_

* * *

His head was heavy on his shoulders.

He couldn't remember how he'd been separated from Stopwatch and Jackieboy.

His mask sat crooked on his face. One of the eye holes had been chipped, a tooth broken away from the fiberglass skull. He couldn't see the missing tooth anywhere, only felt how the place it had once set felt sharp against his face.

He was sore, body aching. The cuts marring his arms and legs stung.

...Stung.

That's right. There had been some sort of poison on the blade he was attacked with. Not the same poison that had been used on Stopwatch years ago-Average probably wouldn't be breathing right then if that was the case-but poison, nonetheless. His mind was still fuzzy-he'd been drugged.

He didn't recognize this place. It was dark, no windows. Small. Cramped. An uneasy chill bit at his skin where it was exposed by tears in his suit. He'd been left with his weapons; all but the one he'd been holding when he collapsed where still on him. Everything but that gun and his comm. What-

Footsteps. Purposefully loud, wanting him to hear them.

When the voice spoke, it echoed through his head rather than the room around him.

_You're a hard one to catch._

Average could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

_You're afraid._

He could hear the smile in the voice.

Crashing from somewhere Average couldn't see, then the room was bathed in red emergency lights. He could see the Glitch's shape; it was but a shadow int he darkness. His eyes practically glowed. Bright green was a stark contrast against the red film covering the rest of the room.

"What do you want from me?"

No answer. The Glitch only circled him, watching, studying, sizing him up.

Then the static started. It was low at first, a quiet hum that Average could almost mark off as annoying background noise.

Then the Glitch stopped circling, tilted his head, and the volume on the static raised.

Average wasn't sure how he knew he was only hearing it in his head, but he did. It wasn't coming from some source in the room.

He grimaced when it popped and grew louder. Louder. Louder still. Pressing his hands to his ears didn't help; he almost thought that made it worse.

Then came the laughter. The Glitch's laughter.

_Why must you "heroes" get in my way? Even you, the poor little wannabe hero.  
_

Static started creeping into the corners of his vision when he hit his knees hard enough to bruise.

_I could kill you, one-by-one._

Average's stomach twisted. He could almost imagine a toothy grin behind the Glitch's bandana.

The hero didn't know when he'd curled up on the floor. All he did know was that his nails were digging into the sides of his head, drawing blood, but he didn't notice the pain over the deafening static. How could he hear the Glitch through it? He didn't understand. Even with the static so loud, the man's voice rang through his head clearer than anything.

_But what's the fun in that?_

Average grit his teeth. He couldn't see anymore. the static had taken over his vision. He couldn't hear anything but it, and the Glitch. He couldn't hear his own heartbeat, only feel it thundering against his ribs.

_I want you to stay out of my way._

He could see only the Glitch, the static parting to reveal him. The man was favoring one leg, a heavy limp to his gait. A limp from Average shooting him in the knee. An injury he shouldn't even be able to stand, let alone _walk, _from.

_You can't kill me._

Laughter petered off into a low growl.

_Only piss me off._

He gasped when the static was suddenly gone as the Glitch's hands found his neck, dragged him to his feet, pinning him to the wall. He had claws, claws that dug into Average's neck as he squeezed. At he put them nose-to-nose.

_Do we have an understanding, Chase Brody?_

Average's blood ran cold even as he gasped for air.

The Glitch knew his name.


End file.
